Real Heroes
by SoraGirl
Summary: Response to a 1,000 word challenge. The gang faces a fight they can't win and sacrafices have to be made. PG for death. RaBB. R&R please! :D


Disclaimer: I don't own nothing.

Author's notes: This is a short fic, in response to a challenge, and my second TT's fic ever :P Robinfans, don't crucify me, I was just trying to keep him in character in said situation. From Cyborg's POV. Enjoy ;)

Real Heroes

It was supposed to be a routine mission, but we had been outsmarted again.

That was only too clear as the five of us crouched hidden, out of breath, beneath the fallen metal.

"I should have known," Robin sneered angrily, his voice covered in self loathing. His fists were clenched hard as Starfire looked on in concern.

"You couldn't have known," Raven, voice of reason, said calmly from the shadows in which she was sitting. Like the rest of us, she was cut, bruised, and bleeding, but still somehow managed to remain monotone.

"Well, what do we do now?" Beast Boy asked. He was blunt, immature, completely lacking any social graces, but somehow, had asked the question we had all been thinking.

"Yes," Starfire said looking towards Robin, "What should we do?"

Robin stared out at the scene before us. Crumbled rocks, broken metal; a literal disaster scene, and somewhere in the midst of all of it was the strongest foe we'd ever faced, ready to search and destroy.

"I don't know," he admitted shakily, with almost a hint of humor in his voice.

This was something none of us wanted to hear. Our fearless leader admitting that the situation was hopeless, took any the hope that we had left.

"We can't defeat him," Raven said solemnly.

"_Really _Raven," I bit back sarcastically, angrier then I had intended. "_None_ of us had thought of _that_. Thanks for your optimistic outtake, as always."

"That's not what I meant," she hissed, eyes narrow. "I meant that there's no point in fighting him, but there's still a chance we could get away."

"Running is for cowards," Robin interjected heatedly.

"And dying instead of living to fight another day is for headstrong fools," Raven said.

Robin seemed to take the insult to heart.

"Cyborg," he said, turning around instantly, in true leader style. "You and I can distract him while Beast Boyand the girls get away. We have the best chance of holding him off."

"Oh?" Raven asked, but the question was completely rhetorically, especially since her power pressing in on Robin prevented him from being answering. She released him, and he gasped for breath. "I believe Starfire and I would be equally capable."

"There's always the trained squirrel army idea-" Beast Boy added optimistically, quickly transforming to a dancing squirrel, hoping to get us to laugh at a miserable time.

"BEAST BOY!" my growl was accompanied by Raven's and Robin's.

"This is serious Beast Boy," Robin snapped. "I put up with your games on every other mission, but not today. Today, we have to be _real_ heroes, if you know what that means, and you're just along for the ride, so just keep your big mouth _shut_."

Everyone, save Robin himself, knew he had gone to far.

Starfire gave Robin a stare of the utmost disappointment.

"BB," I started apologetically, but he shook his head furiously

"No," he said, angry eyes turned to the ground, "He's right."

"What are our options?" Robin asked the group, ignoring the scene that had just taken place.

"Maybe Raven could put up some kind of shield?" I suggested.

I turned to Raven, to see if she was able, but her eyes were focused intensely into the distance. Beast Boy seemed to be caught up in thought as well, until he turned to her, shaking his head. I realized what was going on, an attempted telepathic comfort, and felt a sudden warmth to the girl I had always thought was cold hearted.

"Raven?" Robin asked impatiently, he had no time for being sentimental.

Her head popped up and Beast Boy was released from whatever trance he had been in.

She seemed to speed backwards through her mind to find what she was being questioned on.

"It wouldn't do any good. He's too strong, and the shield would be too thin. He'd break right through it."

There was silence again, and suddenly we were back where we started.

"Then, what will we do?" Starfire asked innocently, unable to comprehend the idea that we might not make it.

"If one of us could distract him-" Raven started cautiously, but was cut off.

"No," Robin said, "Either we all make it, or none of us do."

"You'd rather us all die?"

"We're a team."

Raven became respectfully silent.

"Then let's hit it with all we have," I said, "If we're going to go out, then let's do it with a bang."

Robin nodded firmly and took a last glance over us, ready to make the obligatory "final speech."

"I couldn't have asked for more. You-"

Starfire burst into tears. "This can't be…we can't be…"

But as Robin moved to console her, a green cheetah dashed almost unnoticed from our dark hiding space.

"_Beast Boy_," Raven hissed.

But he was gone. "HEY, BIG GUY! LOOKING TO FIGHT SOMEONE?" we heard from outside.

"What is he doing!?" Robin asked, infuriated.

Raven looked at him with an anger I'd never seen. "He's being a '_real' _hero."

Through the cracked space, we saw the metal monster approaching him, and even in dinosaur form, he was dwarfed in comparison.

"Fool," Raven muttered.

As the machine hit Beast Boy with what was sure to be a deadly blow, he was suddenly surrounded by a black glow.

"Haven't you heard of picking on someone your own size?" Raven asked, hovering inches from the giant mechanical face.

"_RAVEN!" _Starfire squeaked, dashing to the exit, but Robin caught her arm.

"What are you doing?!" Beast Boy demanded, knocking her out of the way of an oncoming hit.

She shielded them from being crushed by the giant metal foot. "I won't let you won't die alone."

The machine continued to press down on them, and Raven's shield began to crack. Beast Boy, overwhelmed with Raven's gesture of affection, turned to her, and kissed her, squeezing her tightly. The shield surged.

"I…" BB started

"I know," Raven smiled lightly, and took his hand in hers.

_Go_. The world echoed commandingly within our heads. Raven's last word, last wish, and we knew we had to obey.

"Raven! Beast Boy!" Starfire begged, tears streaming down her face, as Robin tried to pull her away. "_Please_ Robin! Our _friends_!"

"It's too late Star," I said, watching the splashes of green and black as they hit the metal, trying to hold death back. "Don't let them die in vain."

"Our _friends_," she moaned incoherently.

Robin pulled her away. I turned one last time to the battle before us, and saluted our two heroes.

Beast Boy gave a final, halfhearted smile in our direction. Memories of video games, pizza, bad jokes, and tofu broke into a million pieces as that metal foot crashed down.

We ran. We ran as fast as we could.

And we never saw our friends again.

Fin.

w00t! Hope you liked it, or didn't hate it beyond belief :D Reviewers are showered with candy, money, and holiday cheer!Flamers are thrown into horrible pits of monkey-like doom :(

Happy holidays!

"Have you hugged an author today? Write a review and make one's day! :D"

-Soragirl


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